Class 10 English Chapter 1 Previous Year Questions - A Letter to God

Ans: (C) There was a hailstorm.
The hailstorm was so strong that it destroyed the crops, stripped the leaves from the trees, and damaged everything in the valley.

Ans: Lencho felt devastated when he saw his destroyed corn fields.

Ans: Lencho would have preferred locusts because they might have eaten only part of the crop, leaving something to survive on. The hailstorm, however, destroyed everything completely, leaving no hope of a harvest.

Ans: In A Letter to God, Lencho’s deep faith makes him believe that God will help him after his crops are destroyed. His faith pushes him to write a letter asking for money, showing his simple and unquestioning trust in divine help.
In The Sermon at Benares, Buddha teaches Kisa Gotami that death is a natural part of life and suffering can be overcome by wisdom and detachment. Her faith in Buddha’s words helps her accept the truth of life.
Both texts show faith as a source of strength — Lencho’s faith gives him hope to survive, while Kisa Gotami’s faith gives her peace of mind and wisdom.

Ans: Lencho felt deep sadness when the hailstorm ruined his crops, fearing hunger for his family. Yet, he turned his despair into hope by writing a letter to God, showing his strong belief that help would come.
Nelson Mandela, on the other hand, faced years of injustice and imprisonment but never lost courage. His struggle was not just for himself but for the freedom of all his people. He remained determined, turning his pain into strength to end apartheid.
Both faced hardships with determination — Lencho through faith in God and Mandela through courage and perseverance — showing that hope and strength can overcome difficulties.

Ans: Lencho’s cornfield was completely ruined by a hailstorm that left no crops to harvest. He expected help from God and wrote a letter asking for 100 pesos to sow the field again and survive until the next crop.

Ans: Both the young seagull and Lencho face situations where survival seems difficult. The seagull overcomes fear and takes his first flight, trusting his instincts. Lencho, after the hailstorm, trusts God and writes a letter asking for help.
The seagull’s faith is in himself and his natural ability to fly, which leads him to self-reliance. Lencho’s faith is in divine power, expecting external help. Both stories show that faith — whether in oneself or a higher power — helps people face challenges. It gives strength, courage, and hope, making them take action instead of giving up.

Ans: The hailstorm destroyed Lencho’s crops, leaving nothing to eat or sell. His family faced hunger and poverty. This desperate situation made him write a letter to God, asking for 100 pesos to replant his crops and survive.

Ans: Lencho believed the post office employees stole part of the money because he received only 70 pesos instead of 100. He completely trusted God and thought humans were dishonest, blaming the employees for keeping the remaining amount.

Ans: Lencho’s faith in God gave him hope after losing his crops. He was certain that God would send him help, so he wrote a letter asking for money. His belief kept him strong, though he wrongly suspected the post office employees.

Ans: The postmaster wants to retain the farmer’s faith in God. Thus he decides to send him the money. However, he cannot arrange the money by himself and so, he collects it from colleagues in the post office. He puts the collected amount of 70 Pesos in an envelope and waits for Lencho’s visit.

Ans: Lencho’s blind faith in God is ironical because he loses practicality. Lencho thinks that actually God has sent him the money to help him which is not possible. Also, Lencho is so innocent that he doubts the integrity of the staff of the post office as the envelope carries only seventy pesos against the hundred pesos that he had asked for. 

Ans: Being positive can undoubtedly bring a spark of brightness even in difficult times. It was Lencho’s positive attitude and faith in God which gave him hope despite having lost everything. Lencho still gathered courage to write a letter to God seeking his help so that he could feed the family and sow his field.

Ans: One acknowledges that Lencho had unwavering faith in God, whereas Kisa Gotami in her grief believed that her son could be brought back to life, however, finally, she realized the ultimate truth of life. Both Lencho and Kisa experience loss and grief but their loses are of different kinds. The loss of crop faced by Lencho can be made good with financial help. However, Kisa’s loss is the loss of her son which is irreparable. 
We also see that Lencho’s positive attitude and faith in God gave him courage. Despite not having any food for the entire year, he believed that God would help them and so, he wrote a letter to God for help. This shows him to be impractical because no one writes a letter to God seeking help, on the other hand, prayer is the mode to communicate with God. Lencho’s blind faith makes him overlook the help extended by the post office workers who act like messengers of God. He thinks that God has sent him the money.
Kisa Gotami is unable to bear her son’s untimely demise and carries the lifeless body looking for a cure to bring it back to life. However, when she is not able to find a household that has not lost a beloved, she realizes the truth behind humans being mortals and finds herself to be selfish in her love for her child. Thus, she accepts death as the truth of life.
Both approaches, though different in their methods and outcomes, highlight the complex and multifaceted nature of human response to loss.

Ans: When the postmaster opened the letter, he initially burst into laughter but quickly became serious. He admired the writer's unwavering faith in God and wished he could possess such faith. However, he also realized that the writer had asked for money in the letter, which prompted the postmaster to collect funds and send a reply on behalf of God.

Ans: The night after the rains turned sorrowful for Lencho because the hailstorm had destroyed everything, leaving nothing for him to feed his family. The crops, plants, and trees were ruined, causing great distress and sadness for Lencho.

Ans: The post master read the letter sent by Lencho. In the letter, Lencho had asked for help from God. After looking at the immense faith that Lencho had in God, the post master tried collecting the money for Lencho to help him and keep his faith in God intact.

Ans: The irony lies in the fact that Lencho, a simple and hardworking man with blind faith, doubted the post office staff who were actually trying to help him. The staff collected seventy pesos and sent it to Lencho, but he accused them of being a bunch of crooks because he did not receive the full amount.

Ans: (i) 'He' refers to Lencho.
(ii) Lencho was satisfied with the sight of his field of ripe corn, with its flowers, being nourished by the rain.
(iii) The irony lies in the fact that the hailstones, which resembled silver coins, caused great destruction and devastation to the cornfield.
(iv) The hailstones, resembling silver coins, damaged the cornfield by covering it entirely and destroying all the crops.
(v) 'Draped' is a verb in this context.

Ans: (b)
Lencho thought of his only hope (the help of God) throughout the night, which led him to decide to write the letter.

Ans: (a)
The phrase suggests that Lencho was as strong and diligent as an ox, working tirelessly in the fields.

Ans: (b)
This suggests that it was uncommon for farmers like Lencho to know how to write.

Ans: (a)
Writing the letter on a Sunday likely reflects Lencho’s religious faith and the significance of the day in Christian culture.

Ans: (b)
"Hope" is the opposite of "Despair," making it the correct choice in the analogy.

Ans: Lencho's cornfield was destroyed by a heavy hailstorm accompanied by rain and strong wind. The hailstones covered his field, leaving no trees or crops. Unfortunately, Lencho had no hope of help.

Ans: No, the letter did not reach God. The postman found the letter addressed to God and decided to take it to the postmaster. The postmaster, wanting to preserve Lencho's faith in God, decided to help him. He sent a reply to Lencho, along with seventy pesos, signed as 'God', in order to maintain the man's faith.

Ans: When the hail stopped, Lencho's feelings were filled with sadness. He stood in the middle of his field and expressed his sorrow to his sons, saying that even a plague of locusts would have left more than the hail had. He realized that there would be no corn yield that year.

Ans: Lencho's happy mood changed into concern when the rain turned into a hailstorm. The hailstones destroyed his crops, plants, and trees completely. Seeing the devastation, Lencho became concerned about the future and the well-being of his family.

Ans: Lencho was a destitute peasant whose crops were totally destroyed due to the heavy hailstorm. He had to suffer a huge loss due to it. He was petrified of the fact that he and his family would have to spend the entire year hungry as they had nothing to survive on. In the moment of despair, his only ray of hope was God. He believed that God would help him in this plight. He had firm faith in God and believed that God would not let him and his family die of hunger. 
Yes, I do have a strong belief in God like Lencho. I believe that God is the only one who never disappoints a person at the time of predicament. Lencho’s reaction towards the post office employees was not right. He suspected them of being ‘crooks’ who had stolen the money but in fact, it were the post office employees only who had helped Lencho by donating their share of money for him.